The latest articles on DEV Community by Isaac Gounton (@isaacgounton). https://dev.to/isaacgounton https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F2526014%2Fd02d8421-3780-46ea-bc65-8796555ef319.png https://dev.to/isaacgounton en Isaac Gounton Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:57:40 +0000 https://dev.to/isaacgounton/i-built-an-seo-tool-that-gives-you-a-diagnosis-instead-of-a-score-579g https://dev.to/isaacgounton/i-built-an-seo-tool-that-gives-you-a-diagnosis-instead-of-a-score-579g <p>Every SEO tool I used gave me the same thing: a score out of 100 and a list of issues. "Fix this title tag. Add that alt text. Improve page speed by 0.3 seconds."</p> <p>I'd fix everything, check the score, feel productive — and then watch the traffic graph stay flat.</p> <p>The problem wasn't finding issues. It was knowing which ones mattered.</p> <h2> The Strategy Kernel Approach </h2> <p>I started applying Richard Rumelt's Strategy Kernel framework — originally designed for business strategy — to SEO:</p> <ol> <li> <strong>Diagnosis</strong> — What is actually going on?</li> <li> <strong>Guiding Policy</strong> — What approach addresses it?</li> <li> <strong>Coherent Actions</strong> — What specific steps follow?</li> </ol> <p>Instead of treating all 47 issues equally, I classified findings as <strong>Threats</strong> (things hurting you now), <strong>Gaps</strong> (missed optimizations), and <strong>Opportunities</strong> (untapped potential). Then I scored each one: Severity x Scale x Page Importance.</p> <p>The results were immediate. Instead of fixing everything, I fixed what mattered. Traffic moved.</p> <h2> So I Built DadSEO </h2> <p>DadSEO connects to Google Search Console (read-only), imports up to 16 months of historical data, and runs a strategic diagnosis using 7 specialized AI subagents in parallel.</p> <h3> What it does differently: </h3> <p><strong>Traditional SEO tools:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Numeric scores (73/100)</li> <li>Keyword density targets</li> <li>Critical/High/Med/Low severity</li> <li>Generic checklists</li> </ul> <p><strong>DadSEO:</strong></p> <ul> <li>6-dimension qualitative evaluation (Strong/Adequate/Weak/Missing)</li> <li>Semantic territory coverage</li> <li>Threats/Gaps/Opportunities with impact formula</li> <li>Strategy Canvas aligned with business goals</li> </ul> <h3> 20+ specialized tools: </h3> <p>Full audit, content intelligence, AI visibility (GEO), technical SEO, schema, sitemap, competitors, programmatic SEO, hreflang, off-page, internal links, and more.</p> <h3> AI Visibility (GEO) </h3> <p>One tool I'm particularly excited about: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) checks how visible your site is to AI platforms — Google AIO, ChatGPT, Perplexity. As AI search grows, this becomes critical.</p> <h3> Developer-First Integrations </h3> <ul> <li>REST API with Bearer token auth</li> <li>MCP server with 50+ functions (works with Claude, Cursor)</li> <li>RSS feed at /feed.xml</li> </ul> <h2> Tech Stack </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Frontend:</strong> Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS</li> <li> <strong>Database:</strong> PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM</li> <li> <strong>AI:</strong> Claude for analysis and chat</li> <li> <strong>Data:</strong> Google Search Console API (up to 16 months)</li> <li> <strong>Deployment:</strong> Docker on Coolify</li> </ul> <h2> Pricing </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Free:</strong> 1 site, 5 audits/month — forever</li> <li> <strong>Pro:</strong> $29/month — 5 sites, unlimited audits, all tools</li> <li> <strong>Business:</strong> $49/month — unlimited sites, API access</li> </ul> <p>Check it out: <a href="https://getdadseo.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://getdadseo.com</a></p> <p>I'd love feedback from the dev community. What do you look for in an SEO tool? What's missing from the current options?</p> <h1> seo </h1> seo ai saas